Saturday July 2, booth boats started in rain, hard NW wind (directly from behind, along the river ), coldness and high waves and later a lot of swell from these small ferries trafficking the Elbe in Hamburg harbor.

The mast got loose and Björn had a real sweaty time to hinder the mast from going into the deep until next harbor.

They stopped in Geesthacht for 24 hours and fixed everything and could go on to Wulfstorf. This was on the Elbe-Seitenkanal leading to Mittellandkanal.

At the ”hebewerk” in Lüneburg, (can best be described as a giant elevator, lifting boats up to 100 meters in lenght, 38 meters up with the water and everything), they had to wait for 4 hours before they could go in to be lifted up to this higher level. Next lift was the lock in Uelzen, where they got another 23 meters over the sea level.

On Tuesday July 5, they got to Uelzen where Björn got help from a diver to get rid of a line in the propeller!

After 21 km from Uelzen they went into the Mittellandkanal

Abbesbüttel they reached on Wednesday July 6 and on Thursday 7 they got to Misburg in the proximity of Hannover.

Minden was reached on Friday July 8 where they had a stop for a couple of days. New crew was coming, Marie and Pär, coming Sunday. There is always something to do on board, work that was unfinished and even work not even started, so Björn will be busy.

July 8 to 11

Minden. A very nice marina, well in order, but the harbor captain is "ein Berliner" and they are not very thrustworthy my travel company Wolfgang said, they can not be thrusted. This became a truth when we left the marina. To get some diesel fuel from a truck that would come at 10 o´clock we had to go a little back on the canal. We waited for 15 minutes but since nothing showed we went on together with Marie and Pär who now had joined.

11/7 Minden, Marie & Pär came as crew.

12/7 Recke, Nothing to say about this place. Just a stop.

13/7 Münster, the same.

14/7 Flaesheim, just the same.

Friday 15/7

Last working day before VACATION! Anna-Sofia, Malin and I are going in the car of Pär and Marie and take the Stena Line ferry to kiel 7.30 PM from Gothenburg.

Saturday 16/7

We get off the ferry at 9 AM and ride through Germany to Fredrichfeldt where Anna-Sofia, Malin and I enter Älvan. A very nice evening we have accompanied with very good friends.

Sunday 17/7

Marie & Pär leaving. They go on by their own car to Holland.

At 10.30 AM we go out on the Rhein. It´s a very large river and we have a 3 knots stream with us so now we make 9 knots! A lot of big barks are going on the river in a high speed, always having the right to go before everyone else, so you have to watch out and preferably have eyes all around, like spiders. We take a mooring in Emmerich.

Monday 18/7

Today we enter the Waal canal at Millingen. In Nijmegen we take off to the right into the Maas. We go to Wannsum where we bunker food and fuel. On the way we change the guest flag from German to Dutch. Now we are in Holland.

Tuesday 19/7

Next stop is Rijke, a small very nice harbor between Venlo och Roermond.

Wednesday 20/7 BJÖRN´S BIRTHDAY!

He has to withstand a song ( yes, when you are 70 you have to take that! ) and getting packages! A net hang mat with a blanket to lay on and a mosquito net on top for protection. It shall be hung between the mast and the fore stay. Then he will just lay there cool with a cold sangria!

Also Rita and Wolfgang come to our boat with song, a card and a bottle of ProSeco. Very nice! Thank you.

When everything is set and done we go on to Maastricht where we find a good marina in the outskirts of town.

In the evening we search for a restaurant where we can have a birthday meal. After walking a roundabout we come to the restaurant of the marina. They have just closed the kitchen but the guy says that he probably can fix some goodies for us. It ends up with a delicious dish for all of us and also good drinking. We were all very satisfied and happy when we came back to our boats.

Thursday 21/7

Today time has come for Anna-Sofia and Malin to leave the ship. We go to the central town and follow them to the train station. They have to change train and take a bus to get to the airport of Brussels. They take the plane to Gothenburg City airport directly. Thank you my beloved kids for these fine days!

Friday 22/7

Time for new crew. Lena and Bertil are coming to the train station in Maastricht where we meet them and take them to the boat.

After buying some food we take off and go to Liege. On the way we have to change flag again cause now we are in Belgium. Rita and Wolfgang has already gone in the morning and we have to find them in Liege.

But they went into a little marina which we missed so we go a little closer to town. When we come into the harbour the propeller driving stops working!!

We get up along a big steel boat which we on purpose touch on his fenders to decrease the speed, and grab on to, to get some contact with a steady thing to get stopped. A mad man and his wife comes out and they shout at us: You can´t lie here!!!! Get lost!!! But in Belgian language of course.

We try to explain that it is an EMERGENCY but he doesn´t care about our case to hold on to his boat. We drag on to another boat in front of the boat of the mad mans boat. We have seen a place on the opposite side and we get help from the harbour captain and another man to reach this place. Now the mad man understands the situation and gives me a very long wooden boats hook to push with in the bottom. We come into place. OK.

It shows that a bunch of screws (4) has come loose from the AquaDrive coupling between the propeller shaft and the gearbox and are now lying on the bottom of the motor room. Full job whole Saturday to put them back again after first taking away a steel piece in between which makes the coupling possible to put on to the gear box. A piece of one screw broken off was still in there. Had to get it out.

We get in contact with Rita and Wolfgang Friday afternoon and we decide to meet again on Sunday.

Saturday 23/7

Today we are having another birthday dinner and Björn is now courted by Lena and Bertil . He now receives a stainless smoker with all assets! Very good having smoked fish some day! Must be frequently used especially in the Mediterranean Sea where the fishes are close.

According to Wolfgang it is also very tasty with smoked chicken clubs.

Sunday 24/7

The repair is now ended and we can go on. Today it will be Namur for staying. On opposite side of the river and the marina we find a place outside Thorbjörn. No comfort here but also no pay.

Monday 25/7

Getting further on and now we can see that the landscape is changing. We are getting closer to the Ardennes. We stay in Dinant. Here we have all facilities. This is the town where the inventor of the saxophone was born and it´s obvious cause all over the town there are a lot of saxes standing, on bridges, streets and places.

Tuesday 26/7

We are leaving Belgium and getting into France and have to change flag again, the last before the Mediterranean Sea!

In the first lock in France we have to show our ships documents and also pay the "Vignette" to be able to go on in the French canals.

Here you get a remote control which is to be used before entering every lock all the way up to Toul. You push a button when you come close to the lock and the machinery starts opening the gates of the lock. When you´re in and moored you lift a blue bar placed in the side of the lock, almost in the middle. A red bar close to the blue is used for emergency stop. The gates closes and then the water fills or empties the lock. When you´re up or down the gates opens and you can leave the lock.

We make a stop in Givet, in the middle of the mountains of the Ardennes.

A pleasant small town, and a very nice harbor captain.

In the evening we find a cozy restaurant where we are having a farewell dinner together with Lena and Bertil.

Wednesday 27/7

This morning at 5.15 !! Lena and Bertil are leaving us. They now have a 13 hours loooong train journey with some changes before they reach the French Riviera. They will spend a week there before going home.

We hope they will have more sun and less rain coming week. And a special thank to my lock-partner Bertil for a very good cooperation!

Later this day we pass our first tunnel, Ham-Sur-Meuse.

It is 560 meters in length, 5.8 m wide and 3.6 m high. After that some locks and tunnel # 2 before we enter Revin.

Here we find toilet, douches and even a washing mashine. But there is something weird with the opening time for these facilities. They close at 9.30 AM and it´s closed until 4 PM...... after that it´s open all night until 9.30 AM.....??? French timing? OK why do as everybody else?

Thursday 28/7 – Sunday 31/7

In Revin Rita & Wolfgang is visited by Philip, Ritas son and his wife and their small daughter. So here we stay until Monday. Philip and his family are going home to Germany again Sunday afternoon.